Question

The purpose of a lead is to provide essential details about the story.

True
False

Answer 1

True. In that first sentence, reporters are supposed to provide the who, what, when, and where (and sometimes the why or how). But mostly, once the reader has been hooked with the lead, they will read on to find the why and how.

If this is for an essay and it's the first sentence, that is not the case, though.

Answer 2

The lead depends on they subject matter of a topic, as well. Doc_williams's answer is perfect for writing the lead to a news story such as a court case or the opening of a local store. If you are reporting on a lighter topic you have the freedom to alter the lead a bit. If you always stick to a common template, your writing has the potential to become boring and mechanic rather than eye-catching and interesting. No matter what you're writing, the important things should be covered first and the more minor details saved for later in the article.